4 week check up .....I can drive again :-)

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hello

4 weeks post op FRHR & surgeon has said I can drive & im delighted. All is well & normal including the 2.2 cm diffrence in leg length ??? Im not too sure on that one but told to go to Boots chemist & buy some gel insoles to put in my good leg/shoe ? has anyone else got this problem ? and any advice , I feel like im hobbling more than before I had my op :-( 

I am walking a mile each day with just 1 stick  now & having baths & not using the potty thing on the toilet so making really good progress but very worried about the limp & longer leg .... I would love both legs to be longer obviously !! 

Sylve 

2

I am envious of the 4 week driving. I have to wait till 8 week check to be given the all clear. My insurance company want a letter signing me off. Can't help with leg length

Sounds like you are doing really well, did you have the super path op

3

Hi Ann

I didnt inform my insurance that I was having an operation & didnt know you had to ? What is a ' super path op ' ? Im 48 which is quite young so not sure if I have been able to do things a bit quicket than normal ?

Sylve

4

Seems a bit of a drastic way to gain an inch in height! But quite usual I am informed; I think there is no way of knowing exactly how far they can "hammer" in the new joint, into your existing bone marrow, and when they have a good fit it's better to leave it there than play around with it too much.

A small lift in the heel of your good leg will balance you back out, just an inch taller, lucky you! When you eventually get the other hip done, maybe they will balance you back up!!!

In truthfulness, I wonder if anyone in the World has exactly the same size legs...

5

Hi Sylvia:

I don't know wha  FRHR stands for but I had what they called a THR or Total Hip Replacement .  I am 4 weeks and I am still using a walker most of the time.  I have a 2cm discrepancy in leg length between my two legs.  I too would like to keep the length.  But, I will have to get a lift for my un-operated leg .  I'm suppose to wear one shoe with a heal for the mean while.  I don't like that but that was the risk!  And, if anything will go wrong it will happen to me.  I have just started my second day of I.V. antibiotic to clear an infection in my surgical site.  

I am walking much straighter and I have no longer constant pain.  I have ligaments in my right hip that I think have atrophied.  I can't quite straighten my hip out completely and this causes me to lean forward ... Good Heavens what next??

I hope you have a good healing!

Mary5832 

6

Mark

I have never been able to walk very well in high heels so yeah a tad drastic ha ha ! Goodness im hoping I dont need my other hip doing as far as I know its fine ! I just cant see how you get your leg to shrink back to what it was before the op ? I certainly wasnt aware that I had differant sized legs before & now even if I sit down my knees are nowhere near each other ! 

I will get the shoe things from the chemist & hopefully this will help with the limp & hopefully someone will have had the same problem & give me some advice as to how to get the legs a little bit more even :-)

7

Probabably not!  I was always the shortest in my family and with age have lost height but, I'm be gaining it back, if only on one side!!

 

8

Hi Mary

FRHR - sorry just me being lazy its just short for Full Right Hip Replacement :-) Oh dear it sounds like you havent had the best of times , I really have done very well as I say its just the leg length & the surgeon wants to see me in 2 months & said that it should just sort itself out ....I just cant see it , but he knows best I guess & i know I am very inpatient !

I hope you are finally free of infections & can start making a healthy recovery :-)

Sylve x

9

Hi Sylvia. Occupational therapy advised me to check the small print so I did and they needed to be informed of any medical conditions that prevented me from driving for any length of time. Super path- some people are having this - smaller cut at front avoiding cutting muscle. Good apparently if revision needed in the future. My surgeon does not do it as research inconclusive as to success. In my case at 66 I should not need a revision as mine should outlive me. Anyway feel at 3 weeks in recovery pretty good able to walk 3 miles with crutches and today did it without a rest stop

10

OMG, I can't believe it.  I'm 4 weeks post op for a THR, and I'm still using a walker and can't walk very far in the house without tiring.  I went out to Dr. appt the other and I came home and napped for 1 1/2 hours!!  What's wrong with me,?? whay am I taking so long to recover??

11

Oh, btw, I'm 56 years old.

 

12

Thanks so much!  I hope your extra length is absorbed or some other cure.  I am facing the same thing.  I hope I don't have to have a repair operation or what ever they may call it to right the to long right leg!  

Probably would rather I just put a lift in my left side...

Thanks for your reply!

 

13

Mary chin up. Some of it depends on your starting point and fitness pre op. If you were really suffering prior to op I guess you did not do much. General health has a lot do with recovery. Take your time and keep up with exercises given after op. I do mine 4 times a day. My house has stairs so that too gives me more exercise. There is no rush x

14

Hi Sylvia

Did you recognise this before the doc measured it? Just wondering because I can't work out if mine is even or not or if it is my imagination, I was 100% never warned there could be a difference in length before the op, it's only since being on here I know now!

Thanks Steve

15

Hi Stephen:  

Yes, I was surprised when at Day 2, I mentioned to my nurse that it seems my operated leg is longer and she replied "That happens?"  News to me.  But, I suffered with pain for 2 years, now I have now pain maybe a lopsided walk that I will need to wear a lift in my shoe for.  ( I don't like that at all.) But, it is better than the awful pain I indured for so long.  We can cope.  You too, will be right as rain!

Keep smiling Stephen.

16

Sorry, I didn't spell check before posting.  I have NO pain.

Mary

 

17

Hi mark, all,

You are right about the geometry of the implant problems in some traditionsl hip ops. That was part of the reason for development of anterior approach, they can use live xray , called, fluoroscopy to aid prosthesis positioning. Superpath (i had 5 wks ago) doesn't allow this but the hip is not dislocated for the operation as with other approaches, so the surgeon can broach the femur to custom gauged depth and fit stem before cutting head off femur and removing it to fit custom size socket and ball. ( they build prosthesis parts together in situ. ) its been in usa for several years but only one in uk!

18

Hi Mary

I totally agree, it's great to be pain free, if mine is different I think it is only a minor difference, I just seem to have to bend my operated leg slightly when I stand straight or it feels weird, it could be because of muscles not being equal on my legs, I suppose I won't know untill I'm measured, yes I will keep smiling, I'm very happy with everything so far, there are lots of people in the world who never have the chance of medical care when they need it, we are the lucky minority.

All the best Steve